Development on the Android Wear platform has stumbled a bit as the official 2.0 release has been delayed until early 2017. That doesn't mean the companion app can't continue to get updates. A fresh beta build of v2.0 came out a couple of days ago with a couple small tweaks to remove one of the little annoying things about the Bluetooth pairing process. The teardown also reveals a couple of interesting additions related to standalone apps and the Wear-specific Play Store.

What's New

Unofficial Changelog:

Toggle to filter out non-Wear devices during pairing

Filter out non-Wear devices while pairing

Pairing Android Wear devices certainly isn't a hard thing to do, but there are a couple things that could be done differently to make the process a little bit more convenient. If you've got a bunch of Bluetooth devices in proximity when you're preparing to link a watch, you might be annoyed to see a very long list of devices detected during the scanning step. With the new version, you can instantly clean up the list by hitting the overflow menu and turning off the new checkbox labeled "show all devices when pairing." The checkbox is available in the overflow menus of both the main screen and in the Bluetooth scanning screen.

Now if we could just get rid of that opening tutorial every time a watch has to be reset...

Teardown

Disclaimer: Teardowns are based on evidence found inside of apks (Android's application package) and are necessarily speculative and usually based on incomplete information. It's possible that the guesses made here are totally and completely wrong. Even when predictions are correct, there is always a chance that plans could change or may be canceled entirely. Much like rumors, nothing is certain until it's officially announced and released.

The features discussed below are probably not live yet, or may only be live for a small percentage of users. Unless stated otherwise, don't expect to see these features if you install the apk.

Open the Play Store remotely

Regular readers have been following along with the news and generally know what to expect from Android Wear 2.0, but not everybody is going to know everything right away. One of the biggest changes will be support for standalone apps, which means users will want to get used to using the Play Store, and many won't even know that's going to be there. At some point, Google is going to make it a little easier to find the Play Store by adding a button right on the phone to access it.

<string name="remote_intent_play_open_on_watch">Play Store has been opened on your watch</string>
<string name="remote_intent_play_open_on_watch_error">Couldn't open Play Store on your watch</string>

Yes, there's a tiny bit of irony about using a phone to open the Play Store on a watch so you can install apps without using a phone.

Auto-installed apps warning

This one isn't so much about a new feature as something we'll inevitably get angry about the first time it happens. A new notice has been added that spells out one of the nuisances we have to deal with when multiple companies are allowed to mess around with their customers.

The title simply calls this "automatic updates" and the description suggests that your watch "may automatically download and install updates and apps." It's the detailed explanation where things get suspicious when a warning reveals that "these installs may be from Google, your carrier, or your watch's manufacturer." The apps are uninstallable.

code

<string name="setup_terms_and_conditions_auto_update_title">Automatic updates</string>
<string name="setup_terms_and_conditions_auto_update_description">Your watch may automatically download and install updates and apps.</string>
<string name="setup_terms_and_conditions_auto_update_details">These installs may be from Google, your carrier, or your watch’s manufacturer, possibly using cellular data. Some of these apps may offer optional in-app purchases. You can remove these apps at any time.
To remove apps, go to Settings &gt; Apps. Tap the app you want to uninstall (you may need to scroll down to find the app). Then tap Uninstall or Disable.</string>

Before this turns into an instant witch hunt, it's fair to point out that this isn't an entirely new phenomenon. Both manufacturers and carriers have installed or updated apps remotely in the past, and of course Google does it regularly. It also goes without saying that carriers probably won't be able to install anything to watches that weren't sold by them directly. Even though it's not unprecedented on phones, it would have been nice if watches could be left alone for as long as possible.

Download

The APK is signed by Google and upgrades your existing app. The cryptographic signature guarantees that the file is safe to install and was not tampered with in any way. Rather than wait for Google to push this download to your devices, which can take days, download and install it just like any other APK.

Comments

So automatic updates basically confirms Google is bringing Assistant to the Pixel watches as an exclusive, right?

Derik Taylor

>These installs may be from Google, your carrier, or your watch’s manufacturer, possibly using cellular data.

This line interests me. I would interpret from this that there may be more carrier involvement with Android Wear devices, implying an increase in LTE compatible Wear devices. Of course, this is speculation at best, but something to note.

Sorian

Maybe, could also mean phone data used to push OTA on non-cellular watches.

JG

Slightly off topic, but since AP readers are usually well informed...

I would like to switch my watch over to my new phone, but I read somewhere that doing so will reset the watch. Is this true?

I wore the watch while on vacation and have collected on it, a few saved "souvenir" WiFi networks that I would like, if possible, to keep...

So is there any way to prevent the WiFi networks from being wiped? And/or back them up to restore them after?

jaycemiskel

It will wipe everything and there's no way to prevent it. I'm not sure I understand the souvenir WIFI networks. They aren't serving any purpose, correct?

JG

No, not really... Just the dork in me would like, if possible, to keep them as a reminder of where we were on vacation...

I suppose, since the networks weren't password protected I could just set up an old router & change the SSID a few times until I've repopulated the watch's saved network list... Then if we ever return for another vacation there, the watch will auto-reconnect whenever we get near the aquarium etc...

YaKillaCJ

Android Wear watches only connects to 1 device primary device at a time. So in other to connect another device (phone/tablet), U are forced to reset it back to factory, way back. Not just wipe user data but the OS version goes back too.
But if I'm not mistaken, in order to connect to a wifi, U have to type it in on your phone. Shouldn't they be saved there?
Idk tho because I've only done the wifi connect a few times

The OS version definitely does not go back. It remains on the exact version you were already on, just like with your phone, as OS upgrades fully overwrite your system with the new version leaving no trace of the earlier versions behind.

JG

Technically, I would be only connecting it to one device - swapping the old phone out for my new one... I would assume its due to the old phone possibly having apps the new one doesn't... Though I'd imagine there would be easier ways to handle that than a total reset of the watch...

As for WiFi, the watch works kind of similar to WiFi Assistant. If it's an open network, no password etc you can connect to it directly via the watch (Settings > WiFi and then tap on the network). You only have to use the phone if the network is password protected or if there's some landing page where you have to agree to terms of service or whatever before you can get a usable internet connection.

And yes, I should have the networks saved, but they're on my old phone, not the new one... I could be mistaken, but I don't believe the watch pulls saved WiFi networks from the phone during set up... I know I had to show mom how to get her watch onto WiFi at her work even though the phone would have had the network saved from earlier...

D.T.

This update came to me a few hours ago (Spain, Nexus 6P + Moto 360 v1) and suddenly the companion app show me that no device was linked with my phone... I had to reset the Moto 360...

Marty

I just want them to find a way to make pairing to a car system possible while the speaker-equipped AW watch is also configured to route calls to the watch speaker. As it currently is, I have to disable the BT function on the watch that allows me to take calls on my watch if I want my phone to connect to my car system.

Yikes, that's good to know about as I contemplate my replacements for my 1st-gen 360.

H0OIler

I have an Asus Zenwatch 2, and I'm in the same boat. I have to turn off audio capabilities on my watch in order to connect my Phone to my car Bluetooth. Hopefully Google come up with a way to have a Bluetooth connection priorities list to accommodate multiple Bluetooth devices

It hasn't tried to, but it certainly displays them as options. Never understood why, and understand less now that it turns out it's easy for it to differentiate them.

Smanny

As a matter of fact you could connect your existing Android Wear watches to certain Bluetooth devices other than another Android phone, or a Bluetooth headset or speaker. I wrote an Android Wear app that talks to a Raspberry Pi directly via Bluetooth. That's without using Android Wear 2.0.

This is about the Android Wear app on the phone displaying devices other than Android Wear watches, not the watches displaying other devices. There's no reason I can think of for the phone app to display non-Wear devices.

There was a warning on the first day that the companion v2 beta app should only be used with Wear 2.0 DP3, but it was removed sometime after that. I would assume whatever they were concerned about must not be an issue anymore, so it's probably safe to use it with both. There were tons of people, myself included, that ran the previous version with watches on Wear v1.5 without incident.

Hmm, your previous article strongly emphasized it shouldn't be used with Wear 1.5, so I never even tried to install it since I have an LG Watch Urbane. Thanks for the clarification though, in that case I'm going to try it.

It is worth quickly acknowledging that it's still a beta, and judging by some of the other comments in here and elsewhere, there have been some bugginess and a few people have had to re-pair watches or experienced other issues. I'm not sure if that's a common thing or just a small number of flukes.

Badelhas

So I can try this with the 1st gen Moto 360?

Cheers

Andrew Hogoboom

Has anyone successfully upgraded the MOTO 360 1ST GEN with what appears to be an Android Wear 2.0 Version (2.0.0.137106828.gms)?

Badelhas

The update just shown up on Google play store. Seems to be working fine

Dimitre Guenov

I just wanted to point out that the Automatic Updates language and string are already live, for me. If you hit on "Add A New Watch", it prominently displays this under the initial screen for accepting the Google "Terms" (along with stuff about Fit). Also, mine also doesn't look like yours and can't filter out devices yet, so that must be a server-side switch that isn't live for everyone yet (it also doesn't have the bug report options either).

Joseph W.

Any word on whether or not the Wear preview is coming to the ZenWatch 3? Seems like they'd want some testing on the SD2100 three button platform.

Badelhas

Is it advisable to install this to work with a Moto 360 1st generation?

Shaques

I've installed this version but am not seeing the option to ignore non wear devices.

Smanny

I hope Google adds a new phrase to say on Android Wear watches. Like "OK Google, install app", or install app xxx would be even better.